Mary Henry (Independent)

I share Senator Terry's concerns about the manner in which the Bill has been rushed through the Houses of the Oireachtas. Regardless of the fact that the legislation is described as temporary, we have a duty to try to make it seem that we have considered it carefully, but that has been virtually impossible to do with this Bill. I also cannot support this Bill because I do not believe the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform sought advice on the medical aspects of the legislation, particularly the section I addressed which is now the First Schedule. I do not believe the Department of Health and Children was adequately consulted — I do not know if it was consulted at all — and I do not think the National Disease Surveillance Centre was consulted.

I have not met anyone in public health who was consulted about it and I certainly have not found anyone who could have given advice from a psychiatric point of view. The Minister of State described how broad the UK legislation is but said our Bill is better. I think the Bill is probably worse because totally impractical areas are being singled out when I have given medical evidence that can be verified which shows that these areas are considered impractical. I remember getting a work permit in the 1960s to go to the United States. As non-nationals, one had to be X-rayed, have blood taken and so forth. If we want to look for tuberculosis and syphilis by taking blood samples, that is fair enough, but there is no point singling out specific conditions in important legislation, which will be very rarely implemented. What value is it to have such conditions specified? I certainly will not be able to support the Bill.